Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Source: The Conversation

The Russian Supreme Court recently sanctioned Jehovah’s Witnesses as an extremist group. This ruling criminalizes Jehovah’s Witnesses who express their beliefs and allows the Russian government to liquidate any property held by the organization.

Who are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and why would the Russian, or any, government consider them to be a threat?

Early history

The story of Jehovah’s Witnesses begins in the late 19th century near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a group of students studying the Bible. The group was led by Charles Taze Russell, a religious seeker from a Presbyterian background. These students understood “Jehovah,” a version of the Hebrew “Yaweh,” to be the name of God the Father himself.